There’s Joy in Your Calling, Dannette Crawford's Story

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Hey friends, welcome to the Her God Story podcast where you will always hear a good

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story to build your faith and equip you in your walk with the Lord.

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I'm your host Jodie Chiricosta, ministry leader at Somebody Cares America International, author

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and traveler on this journey of faith.

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Nehemiah 8 10 B tells us the joy of the Lord is our strength.

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Today I'll be talking with a woman who has contended for joy.

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She teaches about biblical joy and she lives joy.

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Danette Joy Crawford, very appropriate name, is the founder and president of Joy Ministries,

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host of the TV show Joy with Danette Crawford, author of multiple books and minister of the

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gospel.

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Being a single mom, Danette has a special place in her heart for other women struggling

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to raise their children alone.

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I know you will be inspired and encouraged by what God has done for her, in her and through

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her.

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Welcome, Danette.

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Thank you so much.

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It's an honor and blessing to be here.

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Danette, you lead a vibrant ministry to at-risk youth and single moms.

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You host to produce a weekly TV show that's also a podcast.

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You've written numerous books and you are a Bible teacher around the country, but it

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was a tough road to get there.

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Where and when did your God story start?

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How did you initially meet Jesus?

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Well I actually accepted the Lord into my life at the age of 17.

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I grew up going to a Methodist church, so I had that foundation.

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But when my parents divorced in the fifth grade, you know, we never, we didn't go every

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week.

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We would go Christmas, we would go Easter, we would go special times, but I had that

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foundation.

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But at the age of 17, I did something I said I never would do, and that was I went into

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the Holy Roller church in our town.

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I said, we never go there.

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And I went and the rest is history.

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So what did you encounter when you stepped into that church?

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What changed in your life?

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Well, actually everything.

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But when I went there that day, I went with just hesitancy.

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I was kept being asked to go.

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And I looked around and I saw a girl, her name was Hope.

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And Hope was, she lived in my neighborhood.

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And I just, I felt, I didn't know what it was.

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It was the drawing of the Holy Spirit to me for me to accept Jesus, but I didn't know

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what it was.

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But I knew that the preacher was preaching my story.

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So I looked around and said, who in here knows me?

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I called the girl, because I was too shy and intimate to go up front that day to get saved.

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I called the girl who lived in my neighborhood and I prayed with her over the telephone to

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give my life to the Lord.

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You know, that's such an important point that, you know, we as friends have so much influence

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and impact, you know, on other people, on those who don't know Jesus.

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It's not just the preachers from the stage who influence really more.

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It's the lives we live in front of people that we know.

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So at what point did God call you into full time ministry?

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Did you know right away when the Holy Spirit hits you that I'm going to be a full time

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minister or was there a process that you went through?

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No, and I'll tell you this story.

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It's kind of funny.

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So I got saved at 17 and then there was an evangelist that came and preached a revival.

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I didn't know what an evangelist was.

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I didn't know what a revival was.

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He came and he preached.

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And when he was there, because I kept feeling in my heart after I got saved, I kept feeling

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that the Lord wanted me to travel and tell people about Jesus.

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And so the only thing I grew up in the country, the only thing that I could think of that

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traveled was a truck driver.

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And literally I'm thinking I'm going to be a truck driver and tell people about Jesus.

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That's the only thing.

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And when this evangelist came and the evangelist who was traveling and I found out what an

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evangelist was, I said, that's what I'm supposed to do.

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And that was the beginning.

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So then at the age of 19, I actually started as the youth pastor in that church.

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And I started traveling at the age of 21 as an evangelist and I've been traveling ever

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since.

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So you really dug into Christianity and your faith and the Bible as soon as you became

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a Christian.

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Did you have someone mentoring you at that point, discipling you?

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What was, you know, how did you really get grounded in your faith at that young age?

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Well, I had someone encouraging me.

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That was my Sunday school teacher and my youth leader at the time.

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So what, you know, I had to, I didn't, I didn't have a knowledge of the word.

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I had a knowledge of pray, believe God, you know, but I didn't have a knowledge of the

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word.

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So I, the first year, all of these things were just coming off of me.

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Things like I would go to nightclubs to dance.

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I would, I would, and I was like, okay, wait a minute.

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I don't think I should be doing this.

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And you know, different things.

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And it was just shedding off of me and this was my senior year of high school.

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So my Sunday school teacher would encourage me to keep coming and my youth leader would

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encourage me.

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I didn't have family going with me.

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Here I am.

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I'm a senior in high school, driving myself to church on Sunday morning.

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And so I didn't have family that was going with me.

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I was gone by myself.

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And the Holy Spirit was really teaching you, even, even though you didn't have a lot of

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knowledge of the Bible, he was convicting you and teaching you and leading you into

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all truth, which is what the Holy Spirit does.

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Absolutely.

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To this day, I couldn't do anything without the Holy Spirit leading me and guiding me

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and teaching me.

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You know, we were in graduate school together at Regent University.

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After I graduated from college, I had no desire to continue for more education.

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I started interviewing and thought I was going to get this dream job.

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And then I kind of felt this leading of the Holy Spirit to go to graduate school.

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So in my brashness, I made a deal with God.

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I said, God, if I get this job, I'm going to take it.

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No questions asked.

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And if I don't, I'm going to graduate school.

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And as soon as I prayed that prayer, I knew I was going to graduate school.

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It was just like, okay, you're on.

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So shortly after that, I packed up and I went up to Virginia.

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And I'm so glad I did because obedience to God is joyful.

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He created us.

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He knows us.

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He knows what delights us.

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So by the time I was done, I actually had two master's degrees.

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But, Dinead, how did you get to Regent from rural community and working in a church?

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I did my first two years of college in Maryland, and that's when I worked as the youth leader.

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My junior and senior year of high school, I transferred to Lee University, went to Lee,

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graduated and it was a similar thing with you.

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I did not want to come here and get more education.

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I was ready to go win the world for Jesus.

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But the Lord said, I want you to go to Regent University and get your master's in counseling.

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That was another point of contention.

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I was like, God, I'm called to be an evangelist.

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Why do I need this degree?

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But it's all about obedience.

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And so I came here, God had everything positioned for me here that was going to begin to unfold

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for my life.

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So it was again, obedience and there's always blessings on the other side of obedience.

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Amen.

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Amen.

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I have seen that over and over again in my life.

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You know, when we just say yes to God, even when we don't have a heart to do it, if we

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will be obedient and say, yes, he changes our heart and fills us with joy.

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What are some of the things that God showed you and taught you through your time at Regent?

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Well, the number one thing that God did was heal me.

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I had all kinds of baggage, all kinds of emotional wounds in my life.

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And so the number one reason, I always say this, the number one reason God sent me to

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get a degree in counseling was I needed counseling myself.

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So I'd already been through some counseling, but I really needed the Lord to go in and

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heal me and deliver me and set me free.

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I would never be able to do what I was called to do if not.

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And I'll tell you, I was very shy, very timid, very, I was not comfortable being out front.

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And so everything that God has called me to do is to be out front.

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So he had to heal the inside so I could function in my call and carry out his plan.

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So that's the number one thing.

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And that was a big number one thing.

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Yeah.

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And how did, I mean, how did he do that in you?

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I mean, I know you're sitting in classes, but was there any kind of tipping point for

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you?

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Oh, there was a lot of tipping points.

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There was a lot of tipping points.

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I did my internship.

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I got into individual counseling and it was really the Holy Spirit.

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The Holy Spirit set up situations and circumstances that showed me I needed to forgive those that

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had hurt me.

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I needed to be healed.

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I needed to be healed from rejection.

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I needed to be delivered from the spirit of rejection, all of these things.

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So it was really a process.

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So I had to release, forgive and be healed.

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Yeah.

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Forgiveness is so key, isn't it?

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You know, along the way, then you started a ministry to teach the word of God, which

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was not in line with that counseling degree.

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But because God told you to do it, I'm sure it was just smooth sailing, right?

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No.

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But this is the thing, honestly.

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So I walked in obedience to get my degree and I graduated in May.

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It wasn't until the end of July.

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I'm in Texas preaching revivals all over Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas.

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I walked across the platform, shook Dr. Robertson's hand, got my degree and went on the road for

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three months.

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It wasn't until like the end of July that God told me why I was getting my degree in

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counseling.

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And he said, I don't want you just to preach at the people.

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I want you to minister to the people.

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And so I was getting an understanding of how to minister to the people.

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And I use that every single day in every book and every television show, every podcast.

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It's about ministering to people and not preaching at them.

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But when you minister to them with the word, there you go.

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People get saved, delivered and healed.

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So that was over 30 years ago now.

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And at that time there weren't too many women leading ministries at that point or women

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evangelists or women ministers.

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What are some of the challenges you faced and what did you do that gave you that confidence

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and vision to continue?

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Well absolutely.

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Trust me.

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I was a woman preacher in a man's world, hands down.

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And the denomination, I got saved in the Church of God.

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And so that was the denomination that way back in the day they didn't have women ministers.

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My pastor, I was very blessed with Pastor Frank Light, who he always encouraged me to

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follow my call.

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He's now in heaven.

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He encouraged me.

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But I can tell you, everyone always asks me, was it an issue for you?

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And I tell you, it's never an issue unless we make it an issue.

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And I always say, don't let somebody else's issue be your issue because you have enough

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of your own.

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And so I had people from the get-go that did not believe in women preachers.

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They would ask me to come and I wouldn't bring it up, you know, like, hey, I'm a woman and

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you don't even believe in this.

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But God spoke to me and showed me from the very beginning, it's the anointing.

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And all you have to worry and be concerned about is being anointed.

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And when you're anointed, it breaks the yoke of bondage.

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I can remember my first revival.

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It was a whole week long and it was in Oklahoma.

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And here I was, a young woman evangelist that they invited to come and preach.

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And there was a man that sat maybe four rows back and he kept looking at me and staring

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at me through the whole service.

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And then he came up and he had this little cane and I thought, this dude is going to

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like whack me upside the head with this cane.

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And he looked at me and he said, honey, I ain't never believed in them there women preachers.

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That's how he said it in Oklahoma, them there women preachers.

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And I thought, I could tell by the look on your face all night.

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And he said, but there's just something about you, honey.

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You just keep on preaching.

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And God showed me that night that it's the anointing and then at all you have to do is

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be a carrier of my anointing and I'll take it from there.

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So I never bring it up.

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If they have an issue, I don't let their issue be my issue.

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I just flow and I've never ever, ever had to ask for an opportunity from the day I accepted

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the call.

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And that's a whole another story.

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The day I finally surrendered, I'm in a big meeting with all of these men preachers old

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enough to be my grandfather and my father.

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And God's telling me I'm called to preach.

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And so I said, God, if this is you, I'll do it.

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And my phone began to ring and it's still ring into this day.

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Well, you know, I have found the same to be true.

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I mean, I'm not an evangelist, but I have worked in ministry, Christian ministry, my

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whole career and been the only woman in many meetings, leadership meetings.

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And it's never been an issue for me either, but I've never made it an issue.

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It's like if God has opened the door for me, I'm going to walk through it.

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And I've seen him do that again and again.

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And those who make those things issues, they become stumblug blocks in their lives.

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Yeah.

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Don't let their issue be your issue because you got enough issues.

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So just keep it moving is what I say.

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Keep it moving.

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So, you know, along the way, you're now a single mom.

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So along the way you got married, you started, you know, you had a child and then you became

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a single mom.

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I know that wasn't in your plan.

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So tell us the personal side.

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I mean, what was going on with your life?

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How did you meet your husband?

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What happened?

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So I met my husband at church.

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His family was in leadership.

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He had been through Bible school.

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I did all the right things.

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I waited.

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I didn't marry the first guy.

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Trust me.

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I waited and I stood in faith and believed God.

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The last thing I ever expected to be was a single mom.

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So got married three years into the marriage.

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I have my beautiful baby girl, conceived my daughter, Destiny Joy.

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And I was nine months pregnant, five days before I delivered my daughter.

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My husband told me he was leaving and my whole world came crashing down.

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And what I've learned is your call doesn't change.

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Your circumstances change or situations change.

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I didn't understand.

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I was like, God, I waited all of these years.

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I did all of the right things.

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God, what's up with this?

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And in the midst of the storm, I always say this in the midst of your storm, don't try

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to figure out how you got in the storm.

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Focus on successfully coming through to the other side of the storm.

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So what I did was just keep focusing on the Lord.

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It pushed me into God.

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I had to choose every day.

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And you know, for I just kept standing in faith, fasting and praying, believing God

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for him to come back, our marriage to be restored.

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One year later, God spoke to me and he said, you're going to have to get up out of your

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mess and go do what you're called to do.

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And I knew at that time that I was going to go through a divorce, went through a divorce.

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He soon, you know, all this is in the process.

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And then he died.

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And so technically I became a widow all of this time raising my daughter and raising

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my daughter as a single mom.

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So I took nine months off fasting and prayed.

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I didn't do any ministry, fasted and prayed for the nine months.

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And then God spoke to me and then I started ministering.

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So I literally took a year off and started ministering again when my daughter was one.

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That's when God opened the door for my national television ministry.

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And I say, God, this is not a good time.

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I'm believing God for diapers and baby food.

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And then suddenly the open door.

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Yeah.

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I mean, single parents, they face a lot of, a lot of challenges.

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I mean, my husband, he was a single parent for eight years after his first wife died.

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And I mean, I know the challenges and the struggles.

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He was trying to raise his kids and trying to work and, you know, trying to make ends

300
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meet all at the same time.

301
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I mean, how do you do that as a single mom?

302
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I mean, apart from being in ministry, which you were, I mean, you're a single mom trying

303
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to raise your daughter and trying to help her through the challenges of having just

304
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one parent.

305
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How did you help her through those?

306
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And how did you make it through?

307
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I'm telling you, the only way I made it through was the Lord carried me and I had to be totally

308
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dependent on him.

309
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When people go through stuff and they don't fully depend on God, they can lean on people,

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circumstances, substances, everything else.

311
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You have a choice.

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And by God's grace, he enabled me to let, to surrender and let him carry me because

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he's carried me.

314
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And to this day, he carries me through.

315
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I had to focus on raising my daughter.

316
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My daughter was always number one, always number one.

317
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I didn't have a normal job where I just went and got a normal paycheck.

318
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I didn't have that.

319
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I had all of the pressures of building the ministry, of the staff, you know, so I'm telling

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you it ain't easy.

321
00:18:20,640 --> 00:18:22,120
That's why I've written so many books.

322
00:18:22,120 --> 00:18:27,120
I couldn't even put it all in one, but my, my testimony book is called Don't Quit in

323
00:18:27,120 --> 00:18:28,200
the Pit.

324
00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:31,320
And I would highly encourage folks to get it.

325
00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:36,080
And the reason is my, my publisher said, Dinette, this is a classic and it really is.

326
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It's a resource guide.

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No matter where you're at in your life, and this is one you don't want to give away, you

328
00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:42,620
could buy another copy for somebody else.

329
00:18:42,620 --> 00:18:46,040
And I'm not saying that because it's my book, it is a resource guide.

330
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It's a manual.

331
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So you're saying, how did I get through?

332
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It is that don't quit in the pit because God has the power to turn it around.

333
00:18:53,360 --> 00:18:56,240
And it's making the choice every day to go forward.

334
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I knew the scripture that said he's a father to the fatherless, and I hung onto that and

335
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I taught my daughter.

336
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It was not easy, but it is possible.

337
00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:08,960
So give us an example.

338
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I mean, you say don't quit in the pit.

339
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I know, I know, you know, without knowing there've got to be so many examples you could

340
00:19:16,520 --> 00:19:21,520
give of instances where you needed God to show up and he did.

341
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Give us a couple.

342
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I remember one thing is finances and I wrote a whole book on that called God You've Got

343
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Mail because the financial pressure was crazy.

344
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For a long time, my husband wasn't paying any child support.

345
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And then after he died, I didn't get child support.

346
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And so, you know, some people get this benefit, that benefit, there were no benefits.

347
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And even folks where he had worked said, we've never had anybody fall through every single

348
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crack.

349
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I had to rely on the Lord, give me this day, my daily bread.

350
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But if I couldn't believe God for diapers and baby food back then, I could never believe

351
00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:06,400
God for millions of dollars for the ministry today.

352
00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:09,680
Every day, it's still give me this day my daily bread.

353
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That's number one.

354
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Number two, I had to stay focused in my personal life.

355
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The Lord told me, do not date.

356
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Also in raising the ministry and raising my daughter.

357
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Let me tell you girl, for 21 years, I have to do the math, that might have been 20.

358
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I have to count back.

359
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For 21, 22, I think it was 22 years, the Lord did not allow me to date.

360
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Fine tune focus.

361
00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:45,720
I had to be fine tuned, focused, not to date, not to fall for this, not to fall for that.

362
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I'm sure there are opportunities too.

363
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I mean, you're a beautiful woman.

364
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Well thank you.

365
00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:53,880
And there were many, and there were many, and I had to keep the main thing, the main

366
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thing.

367
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And so God gave me the grace to keep running the race.

368
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The emotional toll that it takes on parents when you are together is also difficult.

369
00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:15,320
So having that emotional toll of being single, wanting companionship, you know, of course

370
00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:19,520
the Lord is our companion, but there's sometimes you want a human to touch.

371
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Did you have a group of women that you could really rely on and pray with?

372
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What was that support system like for you that helped you through?

373
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Well definitely a support system.

374
00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:31,840
And I've surrounded myself with strong females.

375
00:21:31,840 --> 00:21:32,840
Exactly.

376
00:21:32,840 --> 00:21:34,080
I have male covering.

377
00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:35,520
I have big time male covering.

378
00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:38,040
I have a ministerial covering.

379
00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:42,240
That Pastor Dan Willis out of Chicago is my ministerial covering.

380
00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:46,040
And he covers Destiny and I, and then I have strong intercessors.

381
00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:48,560
I have a strong intercessor circle.

382
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I have a great board around me.

383
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I have an advisory board.

384
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So I have layers of covering that keep me covered, absolutely.

385
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And then friends.

386
00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:00,640
God has blessed me with great friends.

387
00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:03,600
But it all came back to my choice.

388
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I had to choose.

389
00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:09,960
And all of the layers that I have around me today, I didn't always have.

390
00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:15,560
And believe me, even in the midst of the layers, dealing with staff, dealing with people, there's

391
00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:21,120
been many times in ministry we go through betrayals.

392
00:22:21,120 --> 00:22:23,360
It's not that my marriage was the only betrayal I've been through.

393
00:22:23,360 --> 00:22:26,200
We've been through a lot of betrayals, but so did Jesus.

394
00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:28,680
And it causes us to make a choice.

395
00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:30,240
Are we going to push into God?

396
00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:32,760
Are we going to go away, push away?

397
00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:36,480
Yeah, it goes back to that forgiveness thing, doesn't it?

398
00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:37,480
Absolutely.

399
00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:38,480
Choosing to forgive every day.

400
00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:39,480
It's God who embraced the new.

401
00:22:39,480 --> 00:22:40,480
Yeah.

402
00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:43,800
So you talked a little bit about the financial strain that you went through.

403
00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:47,960
And I mean, starting a ministry is challenging for anyone.

404
00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:53,320
What are some of the miracles that God did that you saw as you were starting up that

405
00:22:53,320 --> 00:22:54,400
ministry?

406
00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:55,400
Your ministry?

407
00:22:55,400 --> 00:22:59,200
What are some of those miracles, the doors that he opened that no man could open for

408
00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:00,200
you?

409
00:23:00,200 --> 00:23:03,080
I started the ministry way before I was married.

410
00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:04,240
So I had the ministry.

411
00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:07,260
The ministry didn't start when I became a single mom.

412
00:23:07,260 --> 00:23:15,200
So the ministry started 33 years ago when I got out of graduate school and I started

413
00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:16,560
Joy Ministries.

414
00:23:16,560 --> 00:23:21,320
And then later I started Danette Crawford Ministries, which is the national ministry.

415
00:23:21,320 --> 00:23:25,540
And so many different miracle provisions.

416
00:23:25,540 --> 00:23:29,680
When I started the app, when I became a single mom, then I started outreaches that had to

417
00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:32,860
do with single moms because I realized what they went through.

418
00:23:32,860 --> 00:23:34,280
And I'll never forget.

419
00:23:34,280 --> 00:23:37,840
This is our, this, we just finished 22 years.

420
00:23:37,840 --> 00:23:42,320
This coming up Mother's Day will be our 23rd year for our Mother's Day celebration.

421
00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:43,560
I'll never forget.

422
00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:46,280
It's just so much money to do that outreach.

423
00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:53,320
And I had a big deadline and I had someone, I still don't know who that someone was, from

424
00:23:53,320 --> 00:24:01,000
Alaska, send me, like I don't remember if it was seven or $800 cash through the mail.

425
00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:05,320
I'm in a prayer meeting here in my office praying.

426
00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:09,520
And so our office door is closed during that time.

427
00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:15,680
But through the drop box, the mailman dropped this letter and I heard a plop and it was

428
00:24:15,680 --> 00:24:19,520
heavy and it was thick and I'm surprised it even made it in the US mail.

429
00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:24,200
It was cash from, I said, my angel in Alaska.

430
00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:30,560
The only thing on that envelope was the little logo that said the date and where it was,

431
00:24:30,560 --> 00:24:33,440
and it was mailed from Anchorage, Alaska.

432
00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:35,600
And it was a miracle.

433
00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:37,400
So there's been many.

434
00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:38,400
Just in time.

435
00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:39,400
Amen.

436
00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:41,400
He's on time.

437
00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:42,400
Yeah.

438
00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:46,520
So tell us about how you started this ministry to single moms.

439
00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:49,840
I mean, I know you were a single mom, but how did that come about?

440
00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:52,920
And what, what actually do you do with single moms?

441
00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:56,800
So I started television when my daughter was one that had been a promise.

442
00:24:56,800 --> 00:24:58,520
God told me 13 years before that.

443
00:24:58,520 --> 00:25:00,680
I'd been on everybody else's show around the country.

444
00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:04,200
God said, you're going to have your own show at the least likely time.

445
00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:06,640
God opened the door only God.

446
00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:10,200
So you said which door only God could have opened that door.

447
00:25:10,200 --> 00:25:15,040
All of these large ministries wanted that time slot back in the day was inspirational

448
00:25:15,040 --> 00:25:16,040
network.

449
00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:18,040
It's now TVN here in Hampton Road.

450
00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:21,240
They called me and offered me an hour prime time.

451
00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:22,720
It was miraculous.

452
00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:29,240
So they gave me that time and I began to record in my living room because that's all I had

453
00:25:29,240 --> 00:25:30,240
to do.

454
00:25:30,240 --> 00:25:36,280
But then, so people started calling in through television and wanted me to do a women's breakfast

455
00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:38,720
and have, you know, an event.

456
00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:42,600
So I set that up and God woke me up in the middle of the night and said, the last thing

457
00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:45,480
that these women need is another breakfast.

458
00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:51,200
I want you to go to the subsidized housing and reach out to the single moms.

459
00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:52,200
So that's what I did.

460
00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:53,760
I canceled the breakfast.

461
00:25:53,760 --> 00:25:57,160
Everybody that wanted to come to the breakfast, I invited them to come to the outreach.

462
00:25:57,160 --> 00:25:59,520
Not many people wanted to come to the outreach.

463
00:25:59,520 --> 00:26:00,520
So we went over there.

464
00:26:00,520 --> 00:26:02,600
I the gospel.

465
00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:03,680
I gave out food.

466
00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:07,920
I knew what these women needed because I was in the same boat.

467
00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:14,280
We went began to feed the poor, give groceries, give food, pray for them.

468
00:26:14,280 --> 00:26:16,080
We had an altar call.

469
00:26:16,080 --> 00:26:19,880
What we did is we gathered everybody together before we did the drawing.

470
00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:23,100
The drawing was a hundred dollar gift card to Walmart.

471
00:26:23,100 --> 00:26:25,560
That was my dream gift back in the day.

472
00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:28,360
And so we did that, but we preached the gospel first.

473
00:26:28,360 --> 00:26:29,880
And that's how it began.

474
00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:32,680
And what have you seen God do through that minister to single women?

475
00:26:32,680 --> 00:26:34,960
I mean, have you seen a lot of them come to Christ?

476
00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:36,720
Are they getting plugged in?

477
00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:37,720
Absolutely.

478
00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:43,240
And we have 23 community outreaches that all started from that time.

479
00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:44,240
Wow.

480
00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:45,240
23.

481
00:26:45,240 --> 00:26:46,360
What are they?

482
00:26:46,360 --> 00:26:52,960
So that main categories are their outreaches to, to youth and for youth and single moms

483
00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:55,000
and then also poor and needy.

484
00:26:55,000 --> 00:27:01,200
So the, the outreaches for the children, the at-risk youth come in different categories,

485
00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:05,440
the categories of education in the category of mentoring.

486
00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:10,440
So the different outreaches that we've done for mentoring at-risk youth, we need to get

487
00:27:10,440 --> 00:27:12,080
the word of God in them.

488
00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:15,000
All of our mentoring programs are about getting the word.

489
00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:19,360
There's a whole generation that does not know the word of God in the educational.

490
00:27:19,360 --> 00:27:23,520
A ticket out of poverty is teaching a child to read.

491
00:27:23,520 --> 00:27:26,800
The very foundation of all education is reading.

492
00:27:26,800 --> 00:27:29,220
So we teach the children to read.

493
00:27:29,220 --> 00:27:31,960
Those are, and there's different outreaches under those categories.

494
00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:37,360
Then outreaches to single moms, which includes the father's house programs, which assist

495
00:27:37,360 --> 00:27:43,820
in housing, homelessness, feeding, utilities, all kinds of things.

496
00:27:43,820 --> 00:27:49,400
Later when Ford, the single moms are a mother's day, a mother's day outreach, our single

497
00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:55,880
moms life group, various things, and then the poor and the fatherless, the, our, our

498
00:27:55,880 --> 00:27:57,200
feeding programs.

499
00:27:57,200 --> 00:27:58,520
We have food Fridays.

500
00:27:58,520 --> 00:28:00,940
We have field trip Fridays in the summer.

501
00:28:00,940 --> 00:28:08,460
We have the bread of life program that is feeding and food assistance all year long.

502
00:28:08,460 --> 00:28:12,280
So as you're doing all of this and is your daughter involved?

503
00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:17,440
I mean, did she kind of come along and catch the vision for ministry as well?

504
00:28:17,440 --> 00:28:19,040
She was my first volunteer.

505
00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:21,280
She was my first volunteer.

506
00:28:21,280 --> 00:28:25,720
I used to take her in her little carrier and we would go over and I would do prayer rocks

507
00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:27,200
in that neighborhood.

508
00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:33,240
So we started all of that when she was one and she's been with me at the age of 10.

509
00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:38,640
She helped, she, you know, she was volunteering all of these years and at the age of 10, she

510
00:28:38,640 --> 00:28:41,040
worked as a volunteer in our summer reading camp.

511
00:28:41,040 --> 00:28:44,360
And she taught, helped teach a child to read.

512
00:28:44,360 --> 00:28:50,960
She saw her volunteering, teaching that child to read and it changed her life.

513
00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:53,240
During the time I was on a book tour.

514
00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:56,600
So I was touring on my book tour for don't quit in the pit.

515
00:28:56,600 --> 00:28:58,720
And that tour was like two and a half years.

516
00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:00,840
It just kept going on and on and on.

517
00:29:00,840 --> 00:29:03,240
So many opportunities for that book.

518
00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:06,000
And so I homeschooled her fifth, sixth and seventh grade.

519
00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:11,720
And God told me that if I homeschooled her during those vital years that when everybody

520
00:29:11,720 --> 00:29:17,800
else, when she went back in eighth grade, when everybody else was wondering what they

521
00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:20,760
were called to do, she would know.

522
00:29:20,760 --> 00:29:22,360
And that's exactly what happened.

523
00:29:22,360 --> 00:29:24,140
And so she's a teacher.

524
00:29:24,140 --> 00:29:30,120
She works with us in the summer and then she works in the public school system for at risk

525
00:29:30,120 --> 00:29:35,400
youth in title one schools, preaching the gospel and changing the lives of that rescue.

526
00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:36,400
Wow.

527
00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:40,400
So you really, I mean, you really grounded her and God called her even at a young age,

528
00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:42,520
not to the exact same thing you do.

529
00:29:42,520 --> 00:29:48,800
Sometimes as parents, we confuse our kids call with our call or missed opportunity, but God

530
00:29:48,800 --> 00:29:51,560
spoke to her a new thing for her to do.

531
00:29:51,560 --> 00:29:55,200
That's boy, don't we need the Christian influence in schools today.

532
00:29:55,200 --> 00:29:56,200
Yes.

533
00:29:56,200 --> 00:30:00,200
And that's just a season because actually that's one of the things.

534
00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:03,320
So she works with us and she does that.

535
00:30:03,320 --> 00:30:07,160
But that is just one part of her call, but God unfolds it.

536
00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:11,220
And just like me, he, he reveals it one step at a time.

537
00:30:11,220 --> 00:30:12,220
He does.

538
00:30:12,220 --> 00:30:13,480
He does for all of us.

539
00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:17,800
I think I've had four different careers over my time and you know, in each one, it prepared

540
00:30:17,800 --> 00:30:18,880
me for the next step.

541
00:30:18,880 --> 00:30:23,400
So God's always moving us onto the next thing for his glory.

542
00:30:23,400 --> 00:30:28,040
If we get too secure and safe where we are, we're not really relying on God anymore.

543
00:30:28,040 --> 00:30:29,040
Are we?

544
00:30:29,040 --> 00:30:30,040
No.

545
00:30:30,040 --> 00:30:37,280
So, uh, God has done so much in you to bring you to the place of overflowing joy.

546
00:30:37,280 --> 00:30:42,840
I'm sure there were some really times where you were just crying out to God saying why,

547
00:30:42,840 --> 00:30:44,520
what is going on?

548
00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:47,320
We've heard some of what God's done for you, but there's so much more.

549
00:30:47,320 --> 00:30:51,680
And now I'd love to hear just some of the things that you've seen God do through you.

550
00:30:51,680 --> 00:30:57,120
I mean, you've shared a little bit, but what miracles have you seen God do?

551
00:30:57,120 --> 00:31:02,440
I think, I think we need to be reminded of the miracles that God longs to perform.

552
00:31:02,440 --> 00:31:03,440
Absolutely.

553
00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:06,120
Well, I'll start with a miracle that he did in my life.

554
00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:11,840
So when I, um, when I carried my daughter, so in the midst of my husband leaving and

555
00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:15,240
everything, I had some major physical challenges.

556
00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:22,840
Um, make a long story short, I had a broken back, a 100% compressed fracture.

557
00:31:22,840 --> 00:31:28,880
I do not have a T 10 vertebrae and so my T 10 vertebrae totally collapsed.

558
00:31:28,880 --> 00:31:35,400
And um, that the surgeon, Dr. Donald Chan over at UVA, he is now retired.

559
00:31:35,400 --> 00:31:39,800
He's the surgeon that operated on Christopher Reed's Superman.

560
00:31:39,800 --> 00:31:44,720
When he had his accident, he told me, um, I sat in the office.

561
00:31:44,720 --> 00:31:49,880
He told me I needed two major surgeries and if I didn't have the surgery, I would be paralyzed.

562
00:31:49,880 --> 00:31:56,720
This was May 2001 said I needed to, I needed to take, I needed to, they needed to make

563
00:31:56,720 --> 00:31:57,720
a vertebrae.

564
00:31:57,720 --> 00:32:03,040
They deflate your lungs, take out a rib, grind it down, make a vertebrae and put it in, in

565
00:32:03,040 --> 00:32:06,920
the place of T 10 and put a rod in my back.

566
00:32:06,920 --> 00:32:10,080
So he said I would be out of commission for a year.

567
00:32:10,080 --> 00:32:12,440
I said, Hmm, I am a single mom.

568
00:32:12,440 --> 00:32:15,040
I can't be out of commission for five minutes.

569
00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:16,040
Right?

570
00:32:16,040 --> 00:32:20,680
So I said, but I know that God does miracles through doctors and all of that.

571
00:32:20,680 --> 00:32:26,160
If I'm to have this surgery, so be it, but I need to get a word from God.

572
00:32:26,160 --> 00:32:27,680
I got a word from God.

573
00:32:27,680 --> 00:32:30,640
God told me, don't give up on believing for my miracle.

574
00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:34,760
My miracle was not manifested May 2001.

575
00:32:34,760 --> 00:32:37,200
It was November 4th, 2004.

576
00:32:37,200 --> 00:32:40,600
They kept telling me I was going to be paralyzed if I didn't have this surgery.

577
00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:42,800
I just kept doing by faith.

578
00:32:42,800 --> 00:32:47,240
Once I got the word a little bit more every day, standing in faith for God to do my miracle

579
00:32:47,240 --> 00:32:50,680
in November 4th, 2004 was totally manifested.

580
00:32:50,680 --> 00:32:56,760
Went back to Donald Chan, December 28th, the same year he re X-rayed me, re-examined me.

581
00:32:56,760 --> 00:33:00,320
And he said, he sat down and talked to me for 25 minutes.

582
00:33:00,320 --> 00:33:03,480
He said, I now believe in miracles.

583
00:33:03,480 --> 00:33:05,120
He said, I believed in miracles.

584
00:33:05,120 --> 00:33:07,400
I believe in miracles.

585
00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:13,080
And then the X-rays later on showed it was a picture perfect surgery.

586
00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:19,040
I had a neurosurgeon ask me years later, who did your surgery at T10?

587
00:33:19,040 --> 00:33:20,360
It's a picture perfect surgery.

588
00:33:20,360 --> 00:33:22,840
And I said, Jesus.

589
00:33:22,840 --> 00:33:28,800
That was the springboard of miracles that then God has began to do through me.

590
00:33:28,800 --> 00:33:31,800
See everything we go through in life, God wants to use it.

591
00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:34,560
So I'm going through all that as a single mom.

592
00:33:34,560 --> 00:33:35,560
Trust me.

593
00:33:35,560 --> 00:33:36,560
So here I am.

594
00:33:36,560 --> 00:33:40,440
I was in, and I would always say, God, I want to see miracles greater.

595
00:33:40,440 --> 00:33:47,880
I remember one night I was in a miracle crusade, doing a crusade in Mexico.

596
00:33:47,880 --> 00:33:52,280
And I said, God, I've never seen, I want a miracle tonight that I've never seen before,

597
00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:54,080
that I've never experienced and been a part of.

598
00:33:54,080 --> 00:33:58,840
A lady whose eye was blinded from birth got opened her eye.

599
00:33:58,840 --> 00:34:01,400
So many miracles, so many miracles.

600
00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:03,440
That's just one, two, three.

601
00:34:03,440 --> 00:34:08,800
Yeah, you know, I've been pondering and praying lately.

602
00:34:08,800 --> 00:34:12,840
You know, I mean, we're all, we're all hungering for revival.

603
00:34:12,840 --> 00:34:17,560
You know, we hear words that God is going to do a massive revival across our nation

604
00:34:17,560 --> 00:34:24,120
back, you know, bigger than it was in the 60s and 70s when hundreds of millions of people

605
00:34:24,120 --> 00:34:26,560
across the country came to the Lord.

606
00:34:26,560 --> 00:34:30,560
And I was just pondering, reading the book of Acts, you know, pondering this one day

607
00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:38,080
and the Lord just kind of revealed to me, miracles come from when we have compassion

608
00:34:38,080 --> 00:34:44,760
enough, compassion like Jesus enough to extend it to the hurting around us.

609
00:34:44,760 --> 00:34:53,160
And oftentimes we pray for people, not out of compassion, but out of duty or out of religiosity

610
00:34:53,160 --> 00:35:01,960
or, but without the compassion that motivates us, oftentimes there's a broken link and

611
00:35:01,960 --> 00:35:06,160
we all need a rebirth of that compassion of Jesus.

612
00:35:06,160 --> 00:35:10,400
I mean, you read about the Gospels, he was moved with compassion.

613
00:35:10,400 --> 00:35:16,120
We need to be moved with compassion in these situations to see the full manifestation of

614
00:35:16,120 --> 00:35:20,440
the signs and wonders and miracles that were in the early church.

615
00:35:20,440 --> 00:35:21,440
Yes.

616
00:35:21,440 --> 00:35:28,400
For 20 years, for 20 years, the first weekend of the month, I did a local miracle service

617
00:35:28,400 --> 00:35:31,040
every first weekend of the month.

618
00:35:31,040 --> 00:35:32,320
I did it.

619
00:35:32,320 --> 00:35:36,200
And during that time we saw so many miracles and it was that very thing.

620
00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:37,200
I'll never forget.

621
00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:43,000
I had a lady come out of a wheelchair that night and I said, it's the very thing I said,

622
00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:45,880
Lord Jesus, you were moved by compassion.

623
00:35:45,880 --> 00:35:51,120
And I would always know like my compassion, I would be interceding for people that would

624
00:35:51,120 --> 00:35:54,640
be coming because people came from states away that would come.

625
00:35:54,640 --> 00:36:00,560
And when I, when I was doing that and, and my compassion, it was like I was extending

626
00:36:00,560 --> 00:36:05,760
my compassion to stand in the gap, to pray for their miracle that would be manifested.

627
00:36:05,760 --> 00:36:06,760
Amen.

628
00:36:06,760 --> 00:36:08,740
So it's right exactly what you're saying.

629
00:36:08,740 --> 00:36:13,440
So Danette, I know that we have limited time today, but what are, what are one or two things

630
00:36:13,440 --> 00:36:19,880
that you most want women to understand in their walk with the Lord and not just women,

631
00:36:19,880 --> 00:36:21,800
but believers in general?

632
00:36:21,800 --> 00:36:26,160
What are some of the things that are most lacking that we need a revelation of from

633
00:36:26,160 --> 00:36:27,160
the Lord?

634
00:36:27,160 --> 00:36:31,400
Well, number one, all of your needs are met from the Lord.

635
00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:35,200
All your emotional needs are met from the Lord.

636
00:36:35,200 --> 00:36:37,760
All of your needs are met from the Lord.

637
00:36:37,760 --> 00:36:42,520
When you, you're not ready for a relationship until you know that everything you need is

638
00:36:42,520 --> 00:36:44,240
found in Jesus.

639
00:36:44,240 --> 00:36:47,180
When you're a whole person and you're focused.

640
00:36:47,180 --> 00:36:53,920
And I want to say this, the most fulfilling thing ever is to do your call.

641
00:36:53,920 --> 00:36:59,280
Of all of the hats I wear, my favorite hat ever is being a mom.

642
00:36:59,280 --> 00:37:05,600
I'm so blessed that my daughter, that the Lord blessed me with my daughter.

643
00:37:05,600 --> 00:37:08,040
But that was one part of my call.

644
00:37:08,040 --> 00:37:11,220
And I had to make it the number one priority.

645
00:37:11,220 --> 00:37:16,880
Every single part of my call, when I'm doing it, when you do what you're called to do,

646
00:37:16,880 --> 00:37:18,560
it's so satisfying.

647
00:37:18,560 --> 00:37:22,720
And the big shocker to me is all that I'm doing.

648
00:37:22,720 --> 00:37:29,080
If you would have asked me when I got out of school, high school, college, everything,

649
00:37:29,080 --> 00:37:34,680
the thing that I would say of all of the things listed, the thing I would least expect me

650
00:37:34,680 --> 00:37:38,420
to do would be write books, do television, public speaking.

651
00:37:38,420 --> 00:37:41,600
But it's so satisfying when you're doing your call.

652
00:37:41,600 --> 00:37:44,020
So seek God about your assignment.

653
00:37:44,020 --> 00:37:47,440
No one else's assignment but your assignment.

654
00:37:47,440 --> 00:37:48,440
That is true.

655
00:37:48,440 --> 00:37:54,200
Oftentimes we see somebody else and we think, wow, if I could have their life, wouldn't

656
00:37:54,200 --> 00:37:55,200
everything be perfect?

657
00:37:55,200 --> 00:37:58,600
Of course, we never know all the things that God took them through to get them where they

658
00:37:58,600 --> 00:38:02,120
are, but we're not called to be anybody else.

659
00:38:02,120 --> 00:38:03,120
Right.

660
00:38:03,120 --> 00:38:04,920
The grass always looks greener on the other side.

661
00:38:04,920 --> 00:38:08,640
But when you get over there, you realize they have to mow it and spray it too.

662
00:38:08,640 --> 00:38:09,640
Yeah.

663
00:38:09,640 --> 00:38:15,520
There's a scripture, it says, God has prepared good works in advance for us and he prepares

664
00:38:15,520 --> 00:38:18,360
good works, different good works for each of us.

665
00:38:18,360 --> 00:38:24,220
And it's that finding out what those good works that God's prepared for me, for you,

666
00:38:24,220 --> 00:38:27,560
because he created us specifically for those good works.

667
00:38:27,560 --> 00:38:32,680
So I love to ask my, my guests, if there's a woman in the Bible that has, whose story

668
00:38:32,680 --> 00:38:37,040
has really inspired or encouraged or taught you something and how her story relates to

669
00:38:37,040 --> 00:38:38,880
yours, can you share one?

670
00:38:38,880 --> 00:38:41,600
Well, two, Ruth and Esther.

671
00:38:41,600 --> 00:38:50,960
So Ruth went through a whole lot, but she had to stay dedicated, faithful and loyal

672
00:38:50,960 --> 00:38:57,740
to the very end, not looking for anything about herself.

673
00:38:57,740 --> 00:39:03,680
When we die to self and make it all about Jesus, all about our assignment, all about

674
00:39:03,680 --> 00:39:10,800
the righteous thing to do, God will send you into the bonus realm and your Boaz blessing

675
00:39:10,800 --> 00:39:14,240
doesn't come from a man always.

676
00:39:14,240 --> 00:39:16,960
It might, but not always.

677
00:39:16,960 --> 00:39:22,280
God taught me years ago that because he said, Danette, you have stepped into your Boaz blessing

678
00:39:22,280 --> 00:39:25,520
because you've been faithful, loyal, committed.

679
00:39:25,520 --> 00:39:27,020
It doesn't come from a man.

680
00:39:27,020 --> 00:39:30,240
It comes right from the hand of God.

681
00:39:30,240 --> 00:39:32,840
And so that's, that's Ruth.

682
00:39:32,840 --> 00:39:38,880
And then Esther was an ordinary girl that God had called to do extraordinary things

683
00:39:38,880 --> 00:39:47,200
and she was called at a young age and she had to be focused and willing to lay down

684
00:39:47,200 --> 00:39:49,720
her life no matter what.

685
00:39:49,720 --> 00:39:52,560
If I perish, I perish no matter what.

686
00:39:52,560 --> 00:39:58,800
And then when she got to the palace, she had to continue to remember it's not about you.

687
00:39:58,800 --> 00:40:04,520
It's about the people and for the sake of the people has God put you there.

688
00:40:04,520 --> 00:40:10,080
Psalm 16 11 says, you make known to me the path of life.

689
00:40:10,080 --> 00:40:16,000
You fill me with joy in your presence with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

690
00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:22,040
Danette shared how she's been able to prosper in the joy of the Lord by following his path,

691
00:40:22,040 --> 00:40:25,760
even when it didn't match her expectations.

692
00:40:25,760 --> 00:40:28,920
And the same joy is available for you, dear listeners.

693
00:40:28,920 --> 00:40:33,280
Danette, would you take a moment and pray for everyone who's listening to your God story?

694
00:40:33,280 --> 00:40:40,960
Lord, I just thank you, God, that what you've done for me, you want to do for every single

695
00:40:40,960 --> 00:40:42,480
listener.

696
00:40:42,480 --> 00:40:49,200
I pray right now, God, that the hope of Christ would rise up in them.

697
00:40:49,200 --> 00:40:56,560
Those that find themselves in need of a miracle, those that find themselves depressed, lonely,

698
00:40:56,560 --> 00:41:03,960
broke in need of hope, in need of rescue, in need of a miracle, in need of breakthrough.

699
00:41:03,960 --> 00:41:10,200
God, I thank you that you assure them that this too shall pass.

700
00:41:10,200 --> 00:41:17,760
Their current situations and circumstances are temporary and you are about to bring them

701
00:41:17,760 --> 00:41:19,480
to the other side.

702
00:41:19,480 --> 00:41:26,480
Father, I thank you that they lean on you and you give them grace for the race every

703
00:41:26,480 --> 00:41:30,220
single day in Jesus' name.

704
00:41:30,220 --> 00:41:35,920
And if they don't know you as Lord and Savior, if they don't know you, that their maker is

705
00:41:35,920 --> 00:41:42,600
their husband, that they would know you in that intimate way, in Jesus' name, amen.

706
00:41:42,600 --> 00:41:43,840
Amen.

707
00:41:43,840 --> 00:41:45,280
Thank you for tuning in.

708
00:41:45,280 --> 00:41:50,840
In our show notes at hergodstory.org, you will find links to Danette's books, God You've

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Got Mail, Don't Quit in the Pit, Total Turnaround, and others.

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By the way, don't you just love those titles?

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I think they're inspired.

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There also will be links to Joy Ministries as well as the scriptures and other information

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we talked about today.

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Don't forget to sign up for periodic emails and download a free devotional on Women of

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the Bible.

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We'd love to pray with you on our 24-7 prayer and text line.

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Give us a call anytime at 855-459-CARE or email us at prayer at somebodycares.org.

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And if you enjoyed this podcast, please rate it and review it on Apple Podcast or whatever

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streaming service you have.

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We'd love for you to share this story with friends who might enjoy it and be sure to

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like or follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode.

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And now, dear friends, I leave you with a blessing from Romans 15, 13.

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May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him so that you

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may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

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Her God Story is a ministry of Somebody Cares America and international.

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To find out more about or support the ministry, go to somebodycares.org.